Antibes Archaeology Museum, Antibes, France

The bastion Saint-André, designed following plans by Vauban in the late 17th century, is now home to the Archaeology Museum, which houses all the collections gathered during various excavations in the city and the surrounding waters. A precious past resuscitated, through the wrecks of Etruscan, Greek, Phoenician and Roman ships driven here by storms: ceramics, amphorae, mosaics, coins and everyday objects attest to the extraordinary prosperity of the powerful Roman 'Civitas Antipolitana.'

References:

antibesjuanlespins.com

Museums in France

User Reviews

Kevin Kennedy (18 months ago)
Interesting and would have given it 5 stars if some English information was available by displays.

Lavender France (19 months ago)
Its a small but informative museum!

Cynthia Mccoy (19 months ago)
It is a very small museum with few items displayed. It was interesting tho.

Sam Nachabe (21 months ago)
In the museum you will find fascinating collection of antiquities ! The entry fee is very cheap (less than 5 euros pp). It is very nice museum for locals and tourist as you go through the history of the city. Most of the pieces you will find are from the city itself or found under water near by. I recommend the museum if you have few hours to spare and in seek of nice antiquities.

Laura Lavenu (2 years ago)
Really cool museum and very empty of people at the time of my visit. Totally worth it!

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Derbent Fortress

Derbent is the southernmost city in Russia, occupying the narrow gateway between the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus Mountains connecting the Eurasian steppes to the north and the Iranian Plateau to the south. Derbent claims to be the oldest city in Russia with historical documentation dating to the 8th century BCE. Due to its strategic location, over the course of history, the city changed ownership many times, particularly among the Persian, Arab, Mongol, Timurid, Shirvan and Iranian kingdoms.

Derbent has archaeological structures over 5,000 years old. As a result of this geographic peculiarity, the city developed between two walls, stretching from the mountains to the sea. These fortifications were continuously employed for a millennium and a half, longer than any other extant fortress in the world.

A traditionally and historically Iranian city, the first intensive settlement in the Derbent area dates from the 8th century BC. The site was intermittently controlled by the Persian monarchs, starting from the 6th century BC. Until the 4th century AD, it was part of Caucasian Albania which was a satrap of the Achaemenid Persian Empire. In the 5th century Derbent functioned as a border fortress and the seat of Sassanid Persians. Because of its strategic position on the northern branch of the Silk Route, the fortress was contested by the Khazars in the course of the Khazar-Arab Wars. In 654, Derbent was captured by the Arabs.

The Sassanid fortress does not exist any more, as the famous Derbent fortress as it stands today was built from the 12th century onward. Derbent became a strong military outpost and harbour of the Sassanid empire. During the 5th and 6th centuries, Derbent also became an important center for spreading the Christian faith in the Caucasus.

The site continued to be of great strategic importance until the 19th century. Today the fortifications consist of two parallel defence walls and Naryn-Kala Citadel. The walls are 3.6km long, stretching from the sea up to the mountains. They were built from stone and had 73 defence towers. 9 out of the 14 original gates remain.

In Naryn-Kala Citadel most of the old buildings, including a palace and a church, are now in ruins. It also holds baths and one of the oldest mosques in the former USSR.

In 2003, UNESCO included the old part of Derbent with traditional buildings in the World Heritage List.

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